Best credit cards for travel rewards

By Curtis Arnold, Editor-in-chief

Updated, September 16, 2016

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So you want to fly somewhere for free. And, when you get there, you don’t want to pay an arm and a leg in foreign transaction fees every time you sample the local fare or experience the must-see views. Plus, you'd love it if a night or two at your favorite hotel could be free as well. You’re in luck.

There are myriad travel rewards credit card options out there that can help you maximize your travel budget. Some are airline- or hotel chain-specific, others will let you redeem points or miles for flights, hotels, vacation packages and more with a variety of providers. Whatever your travel dreams, our editors have narrowed down the list of travel rewards cards to our favorites. Take a look:

Our editor's take:We like this card’s hefty sign-up bonus and the ability to transfer points to participating frequent travel programs at full value.

Card Details

Points or Miles1-2 pts/$1

Bonus Offer50,000 bonus points when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Earn 5,000 additional bonus points after you add the first authorized user and make a purchase in the first 3 months from account opening.

Why might you want this card? First, new customers have the potential to earn a lot of bonus points -- earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening, plus an additional 5,000 points after you add the first authorized user and make a purchase in the first three months from account opening. You can earn 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants, and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases worldwide. Multiple redemption options (including cash back, gift cards and travel) make this card one of the top picks for avid travelers. The key lies in the Chase Ultimate Rewards program, which allows not only for cash redemption at 1 cent per point, but also 20 percent off travel when you redeem your points for airfare, hotel stays, car rentals and cruises when booking through Chase Ultimate Rewards.

As if that weren’t enough, you can also transfer your Chase Ultimate Rewards, at full value, to participating frequent traveler programs. These partner programs include popular ones such as United and Southwest Airlines, and hotel properties Marriott, Hyatt and more. This flexibility is the hallmark of a truly valuable card and the main reason we recommend it so highly for all travelers. The $0 intro for the first year, goes to a $95 annual fee after that.

With this card you can earn two miles for dollar spent on purchases (a little different from its no-annual-fee sibling Barclaycard® Arrival™ World MasterCard®, which offers two miles per dollar spent on travel and dining, and one mile per dollar on other purchases). But that’s not the best part; you also get 5 percent of your miles back to use toward your next redemption every time you redeem. With a current sign-up bonus of 50,000 miles after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 90 days with your card – that’s enough to redeem for a $500 travel statement credit. Miles don't expire as long as your account is open, active and in good standing. Yes, you’ll pay an annual fee ($89, waived in the first year) but you won’t pay foreign transaction fees on anything you buy while in another country. Cardholders can also take advantage of a number of travel-friendly benefits including travel accident and trip cancellation insurance, baggage delay insurance and auto rental collision damage waiver.

Our editor's take:Great travel card for those who don’t want to commit to a particular airline or hotel chain. Earn 2X miles per dollar, with no cap on earning potential, no expiration date on those miles, travel when you want with no blackout dates and no foreign transaction fees.

Card Details

Points or Miles2X miles/$1

Bonus OfferEnjoy a one-time bonus of 40,000 milesonce you spend $3,000 on purchases within the first 3 months, equal to $400 in travel

Here’s another great option for earning 2X miles per dollar spent on purchases. This card does not require you to keep track of various, changing spending categories to get the most rewards for your buck – it’s as simple as 2X miles per dollar spent on every purchase, every day. This card is beneficial for both airline rewards, and hotel rewards. Miles don't expire and there's no limit to how many you can earn, and you can redeem your miles for any flight or hotel stay, as well as car rentals, cruises, and more.

New cardholders can earn a one-time bonus of 40,000 miles after spending $3,000 in purchases within the first three months, equal to $400 in travel. This card comes with a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $59 after that. As with all Capital One offerings, this card charges no foreign transaction fees for purchases made outside of the U.S. Venture Rewards also comes with complimentary concierge service-you can enjoy assistance 24 hours a day, from home and when you travel.

Our editor's take:Earn rate of 1.5x miles per dollar is competitive, but Discover also matches all the miles you earned at the end of your first year with this card. Other interesting perks: Get up to $30 back for in-flight Wi-Fi each year and no annual fee. Redeem your miles in any amount for a credit to your statement to cover travel purchases.

Card Details

Points or Miles1.5x Miles on every dollar you spend on purchases*

Bonus OfferExclusive Matched Miles Offer:At the end of your first year--when other Miles cards charge an annual fee--Discover matches all the Miles you've earned.*

Cardholders earn 1.5x miles for every dollar you spend in purchases, with 100 miles equating to one dollar. At the end of your first year of membership, Discover will match all miles earned. You can redeem miles in any amount toward travel purchases on your statement. Another core benefit is reimbursement for in-flight Wi-Fi purchases via statement credit (up to $30 per year). All this comes with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.

Our editor's take:This card comes with a tempting limited time bonus—earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening with the card. Plus, earn 7,500 bonus points when you add thefirst authorized user and make a purchase in the first 3 months from account opening.

Frequent business or leisure guests at Marriott’s hotel portfolio, which includes such brands as Renaissance, Courtyard and Fairfield Inn, will want to put this card in their wallet. With the current new card bonus, for a limited time you can earn 80,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in your first three months from account opening. Plus, earn 7,500 bonus points when you add thefirst authorized user and make a purchase in the first 3 months from account opening..

All spending at thousands of Marriott properties earns five points per dollar; spending on airfare bought directly from an airline, car rentals, and restaurants earn two points per dollar. Get one point per dollar for all other spending. This card has an annual fee of $85. You’ll pay no foreign transaction fees and won’t run into a points accumulation limit.

Our editor's take:We’ve liked this card from the start. Five points per dollar spent on airfare, an appealing bonus offer, no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, plus the consumer-friendly benefits of a credit union.

Card Details

Points or Miles1-5 points/$1

Bonus Offer20,000 bonus pointswhen you spend $2,500 within the first 3 months of opening the Card account

Purchase APR10.24% to 17.99% when you open your account, based on your creditworthiness.* Your APR will vary with the market based on the Prime Rate.

For anyone who flies a lot on various airlines instead of one exclusively, this card from the Pentagon Federal Credit Union is worth a close look. Earn five points per dollar spent on airfare purchases and one point per dollar on all other purchases, and pay no annual fee or foreign transaction fees. With the current sign-up bonus you can earn 20,000 points after spending $2,500 in the first three months. You can earn two complimentary Lounge Club visits at airports around the world after spending $15,000 on the card in a calendar year. It's worth noting that Pentagon Federal Credit Union membership is a requirement but not a guarantee than an applicant will be approved for this credit card.

Our editor's take:If you stay at the Hilton frequently, this premiere travel card has very aggressive rewards including 10 HHonors Bonus Points for every dollar spent on hotel stays within the Hilton portfolio.

Card Details

Points or Miles3-10 HHonors Bonus Points/$1*

Bonus OfferEarn 2 weekend night certificates good at select hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolioafter $2,500 in eligible purchases within 4 months of account opening*

Hilton loyalists will do well with this card, from Citi, a CardRatings.com advertiser, with which you can earn 10 HHonors bonus points per dollar spent on hotel stays within the Hilton portfolio. You can earn 5 HHonors bonus points per dollar spent on airline and car rental purchases, and 3 HHonors bonus points per dollar spent on other eligible purchases.

Earn two weekend night certificates after making $2,500 in purchases in the first four months of account opening. These certificates can be redeemed at over 4,100 hotels and resorts within the Hilton portfolio in 92 countries. You’ll pay an annual fee of $95, but you’ll also enjoy the benefits of HHonors Gold status as long as you are a cardmember.

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Good to know

You generally need excellent credit to qualify for travel rewards credit card offers. You should pay off your bill in full each month, because the interest applied to an unpaid balance would negate any benefit from the points earned. And if you go abroad often make sure the card you choose has no foreign transaction fees, which can add up to around 3 percent or more on each and every individual charge you make outside of the U.S.

General Disclaimer: *See the online credit card applications for details about terms and conditions of credit card offers. Reasonable efforts are made to maintain accurate information. However all credit card information is presented without warranty. When you click on the "Apply Now" button you can review the credit card terms and conditions on the credit card issuer's web site. Offers are subject to change without notice and the terms displayed may not be available to all consumers.

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